


king&lionheart

by eridex



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, knights as bg characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23727886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eridex/pseuds/eridex
Summary: leo may not always be knights' king, but izumi will always be his lionheart.6. Tanabata“Waaah, Sena, Sena!  Look!”Leo’s hand closes around his, pulling him away from the crowd to get a better view.  The fireworks soar into the sky, trails of light that blossom into dazzling starbursts.(They’re loud and bright and pretty, but Leo is louder, brighter, prettier.)(Maybe it’s there, underneath the shattering sparks, that Izumi falls a little bit in love.)[a collection of izuleo fics.  open to prompt suggestions.]
Relationships: Sena Izumi/Tsukinaga Leo
Comments: 24
Kudos: 88





	1. first kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumi’s lips would be warm and soft, like a cat tummy. With less fur. Maybe if he grew a mustache…? No, that’d be weird.
> 
> Anyway, the point is, Leo really, _really_ wants his lips on Izumi’s.

Most people make a smooth transition from _just friends_ to _couple_ , but to be fair, Leo and Izumi have never been _just friends_. 

From the very first time Leo lays eyes on Izumi, he _knows_ the grumpy-looking boy is someone special. And he’s not wrong! Izumi is so, so special. Hidden behind his intimidating face and harsh words is a delicate heart. Izumi nags and scolds him, but he goes out of his way to take care of him, too—sharing his lunch when Leo forgets to bring his own, holding Leo's hand when they're walking along the sidewalk, acting as a voice of reason when Leo's ideas get a little _too_ reckless.

Izumi is beautiful and kind and fills Leo's head with all sorts of inspiration, and Leo is completely, utterly, hopelessly smitten.

Everything changes in the handful of months Leo spends locked in his room and traveling abroad. Yumenosaki changes, and Knights changes, and Izumi changes, and _Leo_ changes, but—

Leo’s feelings for Izumi stay the same.

Izumi never _says_ he feels the same, but Leo knows. He knows when Izumi continues to nag and scold him. He knows when he finds an old iPod tucked safely in Izumi's schoolbag. He knows when he sees how hard Izumi fought to protect Knights.

_Knights has always been a unit made for you, you know._

(That's a lie. Knights—it's always been a unit made for _them_.)

So. _Just friends_ doesn’t quite describe their relationship pre-Actually Getting Together.

This new gap called intimacy—Leo wants to, _needs to_ , bridge it somehow. He’s always been clingy, and Izumi’s always pushed him away, but now things are different.

A good kind of different, Leo reminds himself.

Now he’s allowed to touch Izumi and lace their fingers together and—and _kiss him_. Oh god, Leo gets to kiss him. Izumi is his _boyfriend_ , and boyfriends kiss all the time, right? So Leo will get to kiss him. Eventually. Probably.

Leo really wants to kiss Izumi.

Izumi’s lips would be warm and soft, like a cat tummy. With less fur. Maybe if he grew a mustache…? No, that’d be weird.

Anyway, the point is, Leo really, _really_ wants his lips on Izumi’s.

It’s been two whole blissful, agonizing weeks of knowing that he _can_ kiss Izumi, but being too much of a coward to actually do it. But enough is enough! Today is the day, Leo decides. If he goes another day without kissing Izumi, he’s going to curl up and _die_. Then Ruka would be sad, and Leo promised he would never make her cry again, so he _has_ to kiss Izumi today.

Unit practice is a blur. They sing, they dance, and then everyone’s packing up and saying their goodbyes. 

Leo sits with his back to the mirror, head resting against the cool glass, as he waits for Izumi to tidy up. Usually he composes to pass the time, but today he stares at the wall, his mind a million miles away, scattered across a thousand galaxies. Fragments of thoughts—about Izumi, about _kissing_ Izumi, about how he might throw up before it actually happens—

“Leo-kun." Izumi's voice brings him back, coalesces all the scattered bits into something resembling a person. “Let’s go home.”

He says it softly, fondly, as if he isn't the only home Leo's ever needed. And just like that, every plan floating around his head vanishes. Because Izumi is smiling at him. _Really_ smiling. Different from the dazzling smiles reserved for their fans, and different from the rare smiles their friends coax out. This is a smile reserved just for Leo, when they’re alone and he doesn't have to pretend to be anyone other than just _Sena_.

(Leo has already seen the ugliest parts of him, has accepted and chosen to love them—to love _him._ )

“Leo-kun? Are you alright? You’re not sick, are you?”

Right. Leo needs to say something. “Sena.”

Izumi kneels in front of him, concern furrowing his brow.

(Leo wants to smooth away the lines, but his palms are sweaty, and his whole body feels stuck. Frozen.)

The back of Izumi's hand is warm against Leo’s forehead. 

(He's so warm, always.)

“You don’t have a fever.”

“Sena,” Leo says again, because the feeling of Izumi's name on his tongue is comforting in its familiarity. He’s not nervous. Nope! Not at all.

It’s not like Izumi demands perfection in all aspects of his life, and it’s not like Leo is already far from perfect. It’s not like Leo lies in bed at night, terrified that he'll mess up again, that maybe this time Izumi will realize he can do better and _leave_ him.

Yeah, alright, Leo’s a little nervous. But this is his first kiss ever, so it’s only natural!

“Can I kiss you?”

“Hah?” The red that blossoms on Izumi’s pale cheeks looks good. Izumi looks good, and it’s doing things to Leo’s already unsteady heart. 

“I… I want to kiss you,” Leo says, feeling his own face heat up.

They stay like that, faces red, gazes locked, lips unmoving. 

Then, Izumi nods. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Leo echoes back, half because he doesn’t know what else to say and half to confirm that Izumi actually agreed. 

The next problem arrives before Leo has a chance to feel relieved. The realization that he didn’t plan this far ahead slams into him like a runaway train. He’s got Izumi’s consent (which is great!), but the actual kissing part is kind of a mystery. Has Izumi kissed anyone before? Maybe he hasn’t, and he won’t notice if Leo is a bad kisser. Maybe _Izumi_ is a bad kisser.

Or maybe they’re both just inexperienced teenagers.

Izumi cups his jaw, thumb tenderly brushing his cheek, and he leans into the touch. “Relax, Leo-kun,” Izumi says. “It’s just me, alright?”

Yeah, it’s just Izumi. Izumi, who was Leo’s first friend. His comrade. His bravest knight, his lionheart. Izumi, who’s seen Leo fall apart and shatter. _Sena_ , who sees the cracks Leo couldn't fill when he picked up the pieces and holds him gently anyway. (Holds him together, because Leo will never fully break if Izumi is by his side.)

God, he wants this so, so much.

“I love you,” Leo breathes.

Izumi chuckles, lighthearted and maybe a little nervous, but still strangely, seemingly at ease. “Then kiss me already.”

Melting into Izumi is the easiest thing Leo’s ever done. The kiss is sweet and chaste, barely a few seconds, but it’s everything. It's the culmination of all their hardships and struggles, and it's their victory over a universe that threatened to tear them apart. It's Leo, finally feeling like he's come home.

Izumi’s lips are just as warm and soft as he imagined. Just like—

“Hey, Sena, have you ever considered growing a mustache?”


	2. dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2\. Dance - It’s comforting, how perfectly Leo fits in Izumi’s arms. As if the universe is telling them that they were meant to be together. Except Izumi’s never bought into the idea of things like fate or destiny. Not when everything they have now is a result of countless battles and hardships. They were wounded—beaten and battered and bloody—but they still chose each other, over and over again, until the world had given up on keeping them apart.

“Sena, dance with me~” Leo says.

It’s hard to dance when the floor is currently more sheet music than hardwood, but when Leo offers his hand with bright eyes and a boyish grin, Izumi can’t say no.

So Izumi carefully steps over the half-finished masterpieces and lets himself be swept into Leo’s tempo—sometimes slow, sometimes fast, and never quite predictable. It should be annoying, but when Leo laughs and smiles and kisses him like Izumi’s everything he’s ever wanted… it’s hard to imagine being anywhere else.

How could Izumi ever belong anywhere other than with Leo? In this foreign country, halfway across the world from his dear friends and family… in this place where the air is too humid and the people are too loud, Izumi intertwines his fingers with Leo’s scarred ones and feels at home.

God, the thought is cliché enough to make Izumi gag. 

Arashi once said that Leo made Izumi _soft_. 

Izumi feels better when he’s with Leo. It’s easier to ignore the voices in his head—the ones that tell him he’ll never be _good enough_ —when the sound of Leo’s voice saying _“I love you, Sena~”_ is so much louder. And maybe Izumi will never be _perfect_ , but Leo’s never asked him to be anything other than _Sena_. 

So yeah, Leo makes him a little soft, but he’ll never admit it to Arashi.

Leo inserts a single earbud into Izumi’s ear, its twin situated in his own. The weight of it is familiar, and Izumi fondly remembers the countless days of their youth spent listening to Leo’s music, connected only by the tangled wire between them.

Like everything Leo composes, the new song that they dance to is good, but the feeling of Leo’s body pressed against his as they sway to the beat is even better.

It’s comforting, how perfectly Leo fits in Izumi’s arms. As if the universe is telling them that they were meant to be together. Except Izumi’s never bought into the idea of things like _fate_ or _destiny_. Not when everything they have now is a result of countless battles and hardships. They were wounded—beaten and battered and bloody—but they still chose each other, over and over again, until the world had given up on keeping them apart.

“Do you like it?” Leo asks.

“Yeah,” Izumi says, and the smile Leo rewards him with is more than worth his honesty. “What’s it called?”

“'Sena’s Laundry Song.'”

“Is it going into the same album as 'Sena’s Cooking Song' and 'Sena’s Knitting Song?'”

“Yep, it’s the _Sena Collection_ ~” Leo says, as if naming an entire album after his boyfriend doing mundane things is a brilliant idea.

It’s stupid, but it’s the exact kind of stupidly sweet thing that Leo is prone to doing, and it’s not _fair_ because Izumi’s really going to _die_ if he keeps on being so cute. “You’re still awful at naming things, Leo-kun.”

“Mm, maybe,” Leo says. “But Sena’s the reason these songs exist. Just looking at you fills me with so much _inspiration_. Living together, I get to see Sena do all sorts of things… Sena is my greatest muse, after all~ I’ll never stop composing if you’re by my side.”

Izumi tightens his hold on Leo’s waist—a promise without words.

_I’m yours._

_I’ll stay with you forever._

_I love you._

The song ends, but they don’t stop dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aa sorry this is super late ;;; i got completely swamped by schoolwork and some irl things, and i'm still struggling with the chapter i originally wanted to post after changing the angle from 'friends who almost dated' to 'exes who still have feelings for each other.' but!! i really wanted to put something out for leo's birthday, and he deserves to be happy, so i can have one (1) overly sappy izumi, as a treat :')
> 
> [also gonna plug the leo bday art i made here...](https://twitter.com/39f0x/status/1257607548749975553?s=20)


	3. selfie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3\. Seflie - “Sena’s being a meanie! I wasn’t ready at alllll. Ugh, I bet I was making some kind of weird expression.”
> 
> Izumi presses a placating kiss to the top of his head. “You’re always making weird expressions, idiot.”

“Smile.”

Leo looks up right as Izumi snaps a selfie and pouts. “Senaaaa~ Warn me next time!”

“I did warn you,” Izumi says, like half a second is more than enough time for Leo to make himself look presentable after two hours of binging alien conspiracy documentaries. 

“Sena’s being a meanie! I wasn’t ready at alllll. Ugh, I bet I was making some kind of weird expression.”

Izumi presses a placating kiss to the top of his head. “You’re always making weird expressions, idiot.”

“Not helping!”

“—but your surprised face is cute, so don’t worry~”

 _Cute_ isn’t the first word that comes to mind when Leo sees his face. Izumi is a Certified Professional Selfie-Taker, so the angle is flattering, but Leo’s cheek is red where it’s smushed against Izumi’s shoulder, and his hair—loose from its usual ponytail—is sticking up in at least five different directions. He’s not even _smiling_ , but… Leo looks happy. He looks _content_.

The real star of the shot is still Izumi, though. He’s as beautiful as ever, all flawless skin and perfectly tousled hair (which really isn’t fair because, model or not, he’s also been watching alien conspiracy documentaries for two hours). But even more than that, Leo is drawn to Izumi’s eyes—bluer than any ocean or gem and brimming with so much _affection_ as he looks at Leo and not the camera.

It’s a good photo.

“Instagram?” Izumi asks.

“Mm, yeah, but put an alien emoji in the caption, okay?”

“Half our posts have alien emojis.”

“You say that like it’s a problem.”

Izumi sighs, and Leo knows he’s won when Izumi kicks him underneath the fluffy throw blanket. 

“You’re ruining our account’s aesthetic,” Izumi grumbles. “I don’t know why I love you.”

“Wahahaha~ I love you, too, Sena~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> annnd we're back on schedule. hopefully. something short and fluffy for today bc the break up chapter ended up being longer than expected, so i'll be posting that as a separate work within the next few days oops
> 
> also big thank you to everyone who's dropped a kudos/comment!! i really really appreciate it<33


	4. birthday (soulmate AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4\. Birthday (Soulmate AU) - Leo is a canary who can no longer sing, but a part of him still wants to fly back to Izumi. Maybe that’s why he tugs at the waistband of his pants, pulls until he sees the five lines that ink his skin from hip to mid-thigh.
> 
> Five lines, like a music staff.
> 
> _They’re blue._
> 
> [cw: depression, self-harm]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's in the chapter summary, but i just wanna reiterate that this chapter is a little heavier than the previous ones. it takes place before leo returns to yumenosaki when he's a shut-in struggling with depression and self-harm. he's in a rough spot, and his attitude toward izumi/soulmates isn't very healthy.
> 
> for context: in this AU, a soulmate-identify mark appears somewhere on your body when you turn 18

Leo is five, and he composes a song with crudely drawn notes on cheap printer paper.

(He sees the smiles on his parents’ faces, and he decides he’ll compose a hundred more songs if they keep on smiling.)

Leo is six, and he tries sharing his music with the other first graders, but they don’t quite get it.

(It’s okay—he loves them anyway.)

Leo is twelve, and _maybe_ he’s a little lonely.

(The other middle schoolers are always too busy to hangout.)

Leo is thirteen, and he learns about soulmates.

(He doesn’t like being tied down, but he thinks he wouldn’t mind giving himself to a soulmate if it means he never has to feel alone again.)

Leo is fifteen, and he finds Sena Izumi singing in an empty classroom.

(Izumi has the most beautiful face he’s ever seen, and his voice is pretty too if Leo ignores how out of tune it is.)

Leo is sixteen, and he thinks he could be happy spending the rest of his life just existing by Izumi’s side.

(Every day is so much fun, even if they’re doing boring things like class duty or homework.)

Leo is seventeen, and he’s sure that Izumi is his soulmate.

(How could he not be when he’s already made all of Leo’s other dreams come true?)

Leo turns eighteen.

Leo turns eighteen, and he can’t remember the last time he left his room, but the burning sensation that starts at his left hip and spirals down his thigh steals the air from his lungs until suddenly he can’t _breathe_.

It doesn’t hurt, not like the cuts and bite marks that mar his hands or the pounding in his head. This—he’s been waiting for this since he was thirteen.

But it doesn’t matter anymore.

Izumi hates him.

Leo—he ruined _everything._ He wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t good enough, wasn’t _useful_ enough. They called him a king, but what kind of king can’t even protect his own castle? What kind of king abandons his knights right when the kingdom is at the brink of collapse?

_Stop thinking. Stop thinking._

_Stop thinking._

Iron fills his mouth, and Leo barely registers the pain as his teeth sink into flesh.

He’s going to pass out if he doesn’t calm down.

(Maybe he should pass out. He can’t remember the last time he slept.)

_This is why he could never love you. You’re pathetic._

_Shut up shut up shut up!_

_He’s too nice to say it to your face. But you know._

This bite—it’s going to scar. 

Leo searches for something—anything—to ground himself with and—

The moon.

Outside his window, the moon is full.

_(“You’re always pretty no matter when~ Just like the moon!”_

_“You’re the one who’s the moon…”)_

That moment in the garden, Leo remembers it like it was yesterday, even if it feels like a lifetime ago. Izumi’s glare as Leo hugged him. Little John purring in Izumi’s arms. The satisfied curve of Izumi’s lips as they christened themselves Knights.

Leo breathes.

Even if Izumi hates him now, even if the world hates him, Leo will always have his memories. He’s prone to forgetting, but he keeps these precious memories close to his heart. More than a lifetime’s worth of inspiration can be found in them—in afternoons spent practicing in empty classrooms and evenings spent at each other’s houses. In the peaceful look on Izumi’s face as he listens to Leo’s music.

The memories—they’re enough. They _have_ to be because… because Leo _misses_ him. Izumi is bright and beautiful and he’s the moon to Leo’s tides and without him. Without him, Leo can’t _move_. He’s stuck. His hands can’t compose masterpieces, and what good is he without those?

Leo is a canary who can no longer sing, but a part of him still wants to fly back to Izumi. Maybe that’s why he tugs at the waistband of his pants, pulls until he sees the five lines that ink his skin from hip to mid-thigh.

Five lines, like a music staff.

_They’re blue._

He laughs. He laughs until his voice cracks and his stomach aches and he’s wheezing like someone who’s just run a marathon.

There was only one person Leo could ever belong to.

The world spins when Leo swings his legs over the side of the bed, but it doesn’t matter because for the first time in months, Leo wants to start putting himself back together. Dirty laundry and crumpled sheet music litter the floor. It’s a hazard, with how unsteady he is on his feet. Izumi would scold him.

A few minutes and several stumbles later, Leo plugs his prize into the charger at his desk and waits.

Three unread messages greet him as the phone comes to life, all dated around the time he stopped attending classes.

_Where are you?_

_Leo-kun?_

_I’m not worried or anything, but at least tell me if you’re okay or not._

Leo reads and rereads them until his eyes burn and the screen blurs. Belatedly, he realizes that he’s crying. 

He wants to be okay again.

He wants to hear Izumi call him ‘Leo-kun’ again.

He wants to go _home_.

And it won’t be tomorrow, or even a week or a month after, but…

One day, Leo will return to his knights. 

For now, Leo scrolls through his contacts until he finds the one labeled ‘Mikejimama :3’ and thinks about what to pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hh this chapter fought me every step of the way
> 
> but! for anyone looking for a happy ending where they (eventually) work things out, this is actually a prequel to a longer piece that'll (hopefully) be uploaded for izuleo week~
> 
> i wanted to have this up a lil sooner but it's finals week and i got distracted gushing abt silent oath from an izuleo perspective ( [which can be found here if anyone's interested](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nEd7FTgTkyotFjK3T7rYJnj-uWx9KSuEp_1tvXITcC0/edit?usp=sharing) ) 
> 
> as always, thanks for the support!!


	5. oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smile playing on Leo’s lips is soft, fond. It’s Izumi’s favorite smile in the whole world. “Swear an oath to me, Sena. Say you’ll be my knight.”
> 
> It’s not a request.
> 
> His king is issuing a command.
> 
> or: the one loosely inspired by that one tweet about oaths sealed with a kiss

“I don’t wanna to be here.” Behind the wide collar of his jacket, Leo’s voice is small—tinged with a sort of desperation unbefitting a king. He shifts his weight from one foot the other, back and forth like a ship caught in rough waters. “Take me somewhere far away, Sena.”

Izumi glimpses the angry red crescents on the backs of Leo’s hands, notes the way Leo refuses to meet his gaze, and nods.

They don’t speak. Not as he leads Leo to his motorbike, and not as he tosses him a spare helmet. Then the engine roars to life, and there’s no need for words. It’s much easier to focus on the vibration of the bike between his legs as they tear through the city, brightly lit displays and signs passing by in a blur as the wind cuts through his blazer. 

Leo’s arms are tight around his waist—too tight, almost. But it’s a solid reminder that Leo is behind him. Leo is real and warm and he may be broken but he’s _here_. His chest is pressed flush against Izumi’s back, and Izumi lets himself indulge in the illusion of intimacy. Cars, buildings, people—all of them fade into the background. For now, the world is just him and Leo and the dark winding road ahead.

(Hasn’t it always been like this? Him, Leo, the winding road. Except back then, Izumi had lost him somewhere along the way.)

(This time, Izumi won’t let go.)

When they reach their destination, Izumi holds out his hand, and there’s no universe where Leo _doesn’t_ take it. Side-by-side, they make their way to the scenic overlook.

(Leo squeezes his hand, and it feels more like a squeeze to his heart.)

They sit on the grass, close enough that their shoulders and thighs brush. Leo still doesn’t say a word. It’s strange, unsettling, because Leo never shuts up. He’s always spouting some kind of nonsense. Aliens this, and inspiration that, and _Sena, Sena, Sena!_

“Sena.”

Leo finally calls his name, but it’s in that same small, un-Leo-like voice Izumi is quickly growing to hate.

“Yeah?”

“Sena… Sena’s my knight, right?”

The answer should be obvious. Izumi shouldn’t even have to think about it, but he does. He thinks about it because Leo sounds _uncertain_ , as if he hasn’t proudly declared that Izumi is _his_ knight a dozen times before. Regardless, Izumi is certainly _his_. Leo’s existence—his love, his laugher, his music—was carved into Izumi’s heart long ago.

But is Izumi a knight? He hadn’t protected Leo from a single thing. Rather, _he_ was the one being protected. He was the one who took advantage of Leo’s kindness, twisted it into something dark and ugly before inflicting the fatal blow himself. Izumi isn’t honorable or courageous or chivalrous, but he _wants_ to be. For Leo, he wants to become better than he is.

“I’m trying to be,” Izumi says. 

Leo hums. Then, in one fluid motion, he swings his leg over Izumi’s and presses forward until he’s on Izumi’s lap, fingers grasping the fabric of his blazer.

“Wh-what are you—“

“You are,” Leo breathes. “If you want to be my knight, then you are.”

 _You’re worthy, Sena. You’re worthy of being mine_.

Izumi’s hands find Leo’s hips, and he’s struck by how small the other boy is. Though he knows better than to underestimate him. Beneath Leo’s delicate figure and charming face is a lion capable of ripping their enemies to shreds. “Ousama…”

The smile playing on Leo’s lips is soft, fond. It’s Izumi’s favorite smile in the whole world. “Swear an oath to me, Sena. Say you’ll be my knight.”

It’s not a request.

His king is issuing a command.

“I swear,” he starts, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I promise I’ll be better this time. I won’t abandon you again. I… I’ll be whatever you need. Your sword, your shield, your armor. I swear I’ll protect you and be a proper knight, Ousama.”

Leo’s hands come up to his jaw, thumbs tenderly brushing his cheeks as he leans in and closes the distance between them.

Izumi forgets to breathe. Breathing is secondary when Leo’s lips are pressed firmly against his own, sweet and lingering and _perfect_.

“An oath, sealed with a kiss,” Leo explains, pulling back just far enough to speak. His face is flushed, and his eyes are gleaming brighter than any star in the sky as he steals another kiss. “A kiss, for _my_ brave knight~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while! sorry abt the unannounced hiatus. was taking a short break for izuleo week (shameless plug to check out those fics if you haven't already...) and then summer classes and writer's block kicked my ass. anyway, i swear i'll make izumi meaner eventually. one day. maybe.
> 
> thanks so much to everyone who left a kudos/bookmarked/subscribed! especially big thanks to those who commented--it did wonders for my motivation<3 updates will be more sporadic as i try to get back into the swing of things, so please bear with me!
> 
> as always, i'm [@tsunsena](https://twitter.com/tsunsena%20rel=) on twt if anyone wants to chat! (or see dumb AUs like izuleo hannah montana movie)


	6. tanabata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Waaah, Sena, Sena! Look!”
> 
> Leo’s hand closes around his, pulling him away from the crowd to get a better view. The fireworks soar into the sky, trails of light that blossom into dazzling starbursts. 
> 
> (They’re loud and bright and pretty, but Leo is louder, brighter, prettier.)
> 
> (Maybe it’s there, underneath the shattering sparks, that Izumi falls a little bit in love.)

The ocean breeze does little to quell the oppressive heat. 

Izumi walks, head hung low, along the shore.He pretends his hands aren’t shaking, ignores the sticky humidity that makes him want to crawl out of his skin.One foot in front of the other, again and again, with no real destination.Old memories weigh heavily on his mind.If he stops moving, they’ll surely crest and sweep him away as easily as a rogue wave.

_The bamboo tunnel lined with colorful strips of paper, each containing a heartfelt wish.Above them, an artificial Milky Way.Hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny twinkling lights, but none of them can compare to—_

He wants to forget.Just for today, he wants to forget about how—

_—none of them can compare to the playful gleam in Leo’s eyes.His gaze is set on those lights masquerading as stars, but the only stars Izumi can see are the ones that speckle the smaller boy’s cheeks.Tsukinaga Leo is made of stars.He has to be, because they’re in his eyes and on his skin and maybe when Izumi connects them all he’ll finally be able to put a name to the warm, fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest._

The feeling is gone, replaced with something cold and hard.Regret, guilt, loneliness.Loneliness, he realizes, is more keenly felt in the aftermath of loss. 

(It doesn’t matter, because he was always meant to be alone.)

(It doesn’t matter, because he can only rely on himself.)

( _“Everything matters, Sena.”_ )

And as fireworks come alive in the distance, Izumi stops.

_“Waaah, Sena, Sena!Look!”_

_Leo’s hand closes around his, pulling him away from the crowd to get a better view.The fireworks soar into the sky, trails of light that blossom into dazzling starbursts._

_(They’re loud and bright and pretty, but Leo is louder, brighter, prettier.)_

_(Maybe it’s there, underneath the shattering sparks, that Izumi falls a little bit in love.)_

The details of that moment—the stray strands of hair in Leo’s face, the navy blue of his yukata, the warmth of his hand—are burned into Izumi’s memory, more vivid than anything from the past few months.

(Cooped up in his room, hands chewed bloody, can Leo see the fireworks from his window?)

_Leo hangs up an impossible, silly wish._

_‘I want to say friends with Sena forever.’_

Their forever has been cut short, but Izumi will march forward on his own.One foot in front of the other, again and again, with a single unwritten wish echoing in his heart.

_I want to go back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi i'm very late for tanabata.... the festival izumi remembers is based on the one in kobe! and yes once again i am promoting my Leo With Freckles Agenda~
> 
> same as always, i'm so, so grateful to anyone who reads these self-indulgent lil fics (we've reached 50+ kudos!) and y'all's continued support means the world to me<33
> 
> twt [@39f0x](twitter.com/39f0x)

**Author's Note:**

> howdy! i'm pretty new to enstars but i love izuleo a lot ;w;
> 
> i'd love to make some enstars friends so feel free to hmu on twitter [@tsunsena](twitter.com/tsunsena) !
> 
> open to prompt suggestions~


End file.
